Quilting attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.)

S. A. EVANS. QUILTING'ATTAGHMENT FOR. SEWING MACHINES. No. 539,614. Patented May 21, 1895.

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PATENT SARAH A. EVANS, OF OASSVILLE, MISSOURI.

QUILTING-ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 539,614, dated May 21, 1895 Application filed September 18, 1894:. serial No. 523,430. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known I, SARAH A. EVANS, of the city of Oassville, in the county of Barry and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Apparatus or Quilting Attachment for Ordinary Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved quiltin g attachment for sewing machines, and consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved quilting attachment, the same being in position'as required for practical use. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the quilting-frame detached from the suspendingarms. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the springrolling frame of which I make use in carrying out my invention.

In the construction of the device as shown, 1, 1 indicate the side-rails of my improved quilter, the same being connected at their longitudinal center bya transverse cross-rail 2. The side-rails 1, 1 are constructed in two parts, said parts being connected by suitable hinges 3, thus allowing the entire frame to be folded and occupy a comparatively small space while being transported or stored.

Fixed to the top and near the ends of the cross-rail 2 and extending upwardly therefrom are metallic hooks 4.

5, 5 indicate rollers, the same extending transversely of the frame and having their ends journaled in the ends of the side-rails 1, 1. These rollers 5 are for the purpose of having a quilt rolled or wound upon them, and are constructed with a multiplicity of peripheral faces 6, and near the end of each one of the rollers and on each one of the faces 6 are fixed staples, such as 7.

8, 8 indicate metallic hooks that are secured at their inner ends to staples or hooks 9 that are driven into the inside face of one of the side-rails 1. The downwardly turned outer ends of these hooks 8 are adapted to engage the staples 7, thus holding therollers 5 at any desired point in their rotation.

11 indicates staples or hooks, arow of which is located upon each one of the rollers 5, said staples being for the purpose of preventing the quilt from slipping or moving while the same is being wound upon the rollers.

12, 12 indicate straps or links that are pivoted at their lower ends to the loops or hooks 4 in the cross-rail 2, and to the upper ends of these links or straps are pivoted the lower ends of arms 13, the upper ends of which are pivotedin a horizontally arranged block 14. This block 14. is constructed with avertically arranged bore or aperture 15.

16 indicates leaf or bow-springs which are separated a distance intermediate of their ends, and to the ends of which are fixed upwardly extending U-shaped frames 17 carrying pulleys or grooved wheels 18.

19 indicates a U-shaped frame that carries a grooved wheel or pulley 20 in every way similar to the pulleys 18, and said U-shaped frame 19 is located at the longitudinal center of the bow or leaf-springs 16 and is fastened thereto by rivets 21, or in any suitable manner. Passing through the aperture in this U-shaped frame 19 and through coinciding apertures in the longitudinal centers of the leaf-springs 16 is a swivel-bolt 22 that passes through the aperture 15 in the horizontally arranged block 14 and provided beneath said block let with a nut 23. Thus a swivel connection is made between the quilting frame and the rolling carrier frame.

The two end pulleys or grooved wheels are in horizontal alignment with the center pulley or grooved wheel, and it is the intention that said wheels ride directly upon a wire or cord such as 24 that extends'from one side of a room to the other, the same being taut and fastened by means of hooks or in any suitable manner.

The operation is as follows: The wire being properly positioned, the entire frame is swung and sustained thereon by passing said wire beneath the grooved wheels or pulleys 18 and 20. This being done the attachment is free to move in each'direction along the wire. The quilt is wound upon the rollers 5 and securely held thereon, it being fastened in any suitable manner to the hooks or loops 11. The tension of the quilt between the two rollers 5 is maintained by'engaging the downwardly turned ends of the hooks 8 with a pair of the hooks or staples 7 on the ends of the rollers 5. When the quilt has been properly positioned upon the rollers, said quilt and rollers are free to be guided to the proper position relative to a sewing machine, and the operator can sew and quilt the work very easily and efliciently. The entire frame carrying the quilt is free to move longitudinally, as the roller-frame is sustained upon the wire and said frame is free to be rotated or turned in a horizontal plane as the block 14 is swiveled upon the bolt 22. By providing the double leaf or bow-springs 16 a slight vertical movement for the frame and quilt carried thereon is provided.

I-Ieretofore, in quilting attachments of this class, the grooved track-rollers have been attached to a rigid horizontal bar from which the remaining parts have been suspended, and owing to the rigidity of the said bar during use, the said track-rollers would frequently jump the track and cause a great deal of trouble and inconvenience.

By my improved yielding bow-springslB to which the three track-rollers are connected, and from the under side of which the remain? ing parts are suspended, detachment of the track-rollers is prevented, because the ends 1 l signature in the presence of two witnesses.

of the said springs give and permit my three track-rollers to occupy various vertical planes 1 with relation to each other during operation. By my improved construction, it is impossible to throw all of the weight of the device chines, the combination of two bow-springs l6 fixed together at corresponding ends, three U-shaped' pulley-frames fixed to and extending vertically from said bow-springs, one frame at each end and oneframe at the center i of the length of said springs, pulleys mounted for rotation in said U-shaped frames, a quiltcarrying frame, arms fixed to and extending i upwardly from said quilt-carrying frame, a horizontal-block 14; to which the upper ends of said arms are pivoted, and a pivot-bolt 22 3 passing through the leaf or bow-springs, the fcentral U-shaped pulley-frame and through %said block, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I hereby affix my SARAH A. EVANS. \Vitnesses:

J .i W. BOYGESS, M. T. ABERNATTEY. 

